Alma 29:9

"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yeah, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

Alma 29:9

Monday, March 21, 2016

Why I Believe!

My favorite family,

Being a missionary is the best thing in the world!!! Wow, I love my
life. I never expected I could be this happy, especially in the
service of others--but it is changing me from the inside out. And I
couldn't be happier. (Prepare for yet another novel...you are a saint
if you read through all of this. ;))

So....Dylan. We've been teaching him every week, and he's done pretty
well coming to church each week. However, he's had a lot of stressful
things going on in his life. On Saturday he sent a text that appeared
to be a "drop text". I was heartbroken!! I genuinely care about and
love Dylan, and to see him retreat from a good thing was so sad. But
we texted him back to ask if he would like to keep meeting with us and
learning about the gospel, and he said yes. Phew. That was a close
one! He originally was going to get baptized this Saturday, but we
will be postponing his date. Sad about that, but he will get there--he
just needs a little bit more time.

On Monday, we taught Roger about missionary work. Here's the cool
part. Before we even started the lesson, he said, "Hey, I need a copy
of the book." We were like, "What?" He said, "Yeah, I read The Book of
Mormon while I'm at work, and the other day one of my coworkers asked
what I was reading. I told him, and he wanted a copy, so I told him I
would get him one." We almost fell out of our seats. He's already a
missionary and he's not even a member yet!! It is amazing. We
proceeded to teach him about missionary work and how important it is
to teach others about the gospel. He didn't know you could share the
gospel without being a member of the church. Goodness, I love him. He
still hasn't heard back on his job position, so please keep praying
that he will get it. We are praying for this miracle and believe it
will happen!

Thursday, we went to Sunbury because we hadn't been there in a while.
One person we saw in the nursing home was Ethel. She is the
sweetest--easy in her 90's. We usually just sing to her, but we went
over to her wheelchair and started talking to her. She said, "I don't
know how I know you, but I've seen you before!" Ha ha. We started
talking to her, and she told us she feels scared because she doesn't
know what will happen to her. We talked to her about the Plan of
Salvation on her level, and told her she doesn't need to be scared. We
told her that once she leaves the earth, she will be free from trouble
and pain and sickness. Her eyes got big and wide, "That sounds
wonderful! Where did you read that?" "In The Book of Mormon. Have you
read The Book of Mormon before?" "Yes I have." Sister Schofield
whipped out her iPad and pulled up Alma 40. She read her a few verses,
and Ethel said, "I hope you're right." She was so sweet about it. We
told her that she can pray anytime she feels afraid and Heavenly
Father will help her to feel better. It put the biggest smile on our
faces. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!

Yesterday was our "Why I Believe" Firesides. One fireside was at our
church building in Northumberland, and then we drove to the stake
center in Williamsport to do the same fireside. Sister Schofield and I
sang "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul", and we also sang with the
other 40 missionaries there. President and Sister Johnson spoke along
with a few recent converts. The spirit was so strong, it was
beautifully overwhelming. Hearing testimonies of how people have come
to believe, it has caused me to reflect on why I believe and what I
believe.

My knowledge was so limited when I left to come on my mission. I am
reminded of that every single day. I had a testimony, but it really
was only the beginning. God is taking that simple testimony and making
it into some thing beautiful and strong. What I believed before I came
on my mission: this church is true. God answers prayers. The Book of
Mormon is true. Families are forever. Jesus Christ suffered and died
for me. I knew these things were all true...to a point.

What I know now: This truly is Christ's church. The only church on the
face of the earth that has the fullness of the gospel--the only true
church. The same church that He established while He was on the earth
is the same one He leads and guides through a prophet today. God our
loving Heavenly Father and even though this world was in disarray and
darkness and confusion for a time because we would not listen, He
wasn't about to leave us. He loved and loves us so much He was willing
to wait as long as it took for us to listen to Him. He would provide a
way for the gospel to be restored. He loves us infinitely and
perfectly. Joseph Smith really knelt in a grove of trees to ask God
for direction in His life. His humble prayer was answered, and the
world has never been the same since. Prayer is real. When you have
literally no one else to turn to, you can fall to your knees and cry
out for help. He will hear your plea and He will answer you. The
Atonement is real. His grace is real. It isn't there when I have been
perfectly obedient and have done ALL I can do. His grace is there to
strengthen my feeble knees and enable me to endure. I have experienced
this time and time again. I know the word of God are His words,
written for me. Holding fast to that iron rod and continually pressing
forward is crucial if I am to have a lasting conversion. Time and time
again, I have experienced and witnessed each of these truths on a very
personal level. That is why I believe.

I cannot express the love I have for my Savior Jesus Christ. I let Him
down over and over and over again, but He has never let me down. He
gives me second chances over and over again no matter how many times I
stumble, fall, stray, and wander. He is my rock, my best friend, my
everything. I can't wait to see Him again.

Take time for Him this week as you ponder the significance of this
beautiful Easter season.
The tomb is empty. He lives.

"Have faith, have hope, live like His Son. Help others on their way."
"After all, we're just walking each other Home."

With so much love,
Sister Bartlett

PS: transfers are next week (I'll know on Saturday)...pray that I
don't get transferred!! ;)

1 comment:

Sister Bartlett, What an impressive entry again this week! Don't you just love the variety of people you are blessed to teach on your mission?! Not only are their personalities and ways of learning different, but their insights, level of testimony, and their sincerity are all so special and individual!

My favorite part of this week's post was about Ethel! Not only does it tug at my heartstrings to learn that you go and sing in the nursing home, but I was brought to tears with what you quoted Ethel as saying! The fact that you were familiar to her and that she is soon going to leave this realm, made me think how your meeting with her was not just by chance, but rather, a real and definite missionary visit to prepare her to be taught the Gospel more deeply, one day! Great insights and work, Sister!

We hope you enjoyed Easter and that you savor General Conference! There is nothing like viewing and listening to General Conference as a missionary!